A video distribution center provides two kinds of services to viewers, broadcast programming and store-and-forward programming. An example of a video distribution center is a master headend for a cable and/or a satellite company. The broadcast programming is a continuous stream of video programs that are presented to viewers as a single channel such as HBO, Showtime, or Starz. The video distribution center multiplexes a plurality of broadcast programs into a plurality of TV channels thus giving viewers a choice of what broadcast programming they wish to watch. The video distribution center also provides viewers with store-and-forward programming, which includes interactive programming such as Video-On-Demand (VOD). When providing VOD programming, the video distribution center provides a particular video program when it receives a specific request for the particular video program and multiplexes the specific requests. VOD gives the viewer control over when they wish to view the particular video program.
The video distribution center receives the broadcast programming from one or more content providers, which may be a content programmer or a content aggregator. Examples of content programmers are ESPN, HBO, Showtime and Starz. The content provider sends the broadcast programming to the distribution center as a continuous stream that is redistributed to viewers with little or no modification. Each content provider may send multiple streams of broadcast programming to the distribution center. The master headend does not record the video programs but merely rebroadcasts them as broadcast programming to viewers.
The video distribution center also receives the store-and-forward programming from one or more of the same content providers, which may be a content programmer or a content aggregator. Examples of content programmers are ESPN, HBO, Showtime and Starz. The content providers send the store-and-forward programming to the distribution center as data files where they are received and stored for later playback to viewers. They are redistributed to viewers from video server computers in the distribution centers at a later time. Store-and-forward programming is programming that is streamed from the distribution center based on video programs that are stored at the distribution center. Interactive programming, such as VOD, is store-and-forward programming that is played from the video server in response to the viewer's requests. The video programs are based on video files and ancillary data, called metadata, that may include business rules, and promotional material that are “pitched” (transmitted) by the content provider to a “catcher's mitt” in the distribution center. The catcher's mitt is a computer located at the video distribution center that receives the video file and the ancillary data associated with the video file and then passes the information along to the appropriate systems in the video distribution center such as a video server and a content manager. The video server creates a store-and-forward program based on the video file. The store-and-forward program can include special features that allow it to be used as VOD programming. Other store-and-forward applications include near VOD (NVOD), PPV or even programming played from the video server at the distribution center that appears to the viewer as broadcast programming. The content manager is a software program that manages the video programs and the ancillary data associated with the video programs. The content manager also ensures that the business rules are obeyed.
One of the problems with this approach is the high bandwidth required by the content provider for sending the same programming as both broadcast programming and as store-and-forward programming, such as VOD. For example, HBO broadcasts The Sopranos on Sunday night as broadcast programming and separately distributes it as store-and-forward programming, for VOD. The video distribution system receives the same content as both broadcast programming and store-and-forward programming but over two separate distribution paths. The paths are the programmer's broadcast signal and the pitching and catching network. In addition, the catcher's mitt needs to be provisioned with enough bandwidth and memory to handle video programs being pitched to it. With the advent of HDTV and the offering of additional store-and-forward content this pitching and catching becomes a more expensive and less scaleable proposition. Therefore, what is needed are improved content distribution and video distribution systems for delivering video programming to a distribution center that provides broadcast programming and store-and-forward programming. It is towards this end that the present invention is directed.